Different New Year Resolution & Why Writing Makes You Healthier

Did you know that of those who make resolutions (45% of us) only 8% successfully achieve them. For more fun facts and statistics click on this link:

New Year Resolution Statistics and Fun Facts

THE POWER OF IMAGES
 
This year, I found a different way to approach resolutions. In my Christmas stocking, Santa left my annual  Marilyn Monroe calendar. (Isn't he a sweetie to remember what I want?) When I saw January's photo of the great MM, I knew how I would use the image.

Look at that expression! All joy and hopefulness. I'm using that image for my 2015 emotional rudder. She’s lit up and gorgeous, isn’t she?

TO MAKE NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS OR NOT?

Ok, some of you feel compelled to make resolutions. I understand. If so, read this post. I think it will help. Oh, and btw, it's ok to change your resolutions, refine them, ditch them, or even map them out over time. Whatever works. Just remember: be good to yourself, be kind, be reasonable. Ask yourself, would you want your son or daughter or mother or father to make resolutions like yours? Can you really achieve that? Or do you need to break that massive resolution (Publish a novel!) down into doable parts (write a chapter a month).

Resolutions Best Served with Humor

WRITING TO FEEL BETTER? YOU BET! PLUS, WRITE TO HEAL FASTER. NO KIDDING!

For those of you who don’t consider yourselves writers, I have news for you. Maybe you should try it. Not for publication, heaven help you, but to increase your life span and improve mental health.
   
In a 2005 study on the emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, researchers found that just 15-20 minutes of writing three to five times over the course of the four-month study was enough to make a difference.

Another study proved that wounds healed faster and cancer patients improved the quality of their life. Here’s a link to one article about the studies:
Science Shows Writers Have a Serious Advantage Over the Rest of Us

Grab one of those lovely journals or, if you hate messing up a lovely journal, a pad of lined paper. Dabble, scribble, pen your thoughts, your dreams, the ideas that you never want anyone else to see. You’ll be amazed when you let go of that perfectionist streak that keeps you from being messy. Face it! Thoughts are messy.

When you’re not worrying about what other people think about your writing, you don’t have to contain, perfect, or edit what you write. Just gloriously stream-of-consciousness get it down on paper. Or in the sand, on a wall (yours preferably), or across a roll of brown wrapping paper. I’ve written on napkins. (No to phones or laptops. You have to connect directly with pen, crayon, or pencil with any other surface.)

Wow. Doesn’t that feel good?

WINNERS OF NADINE GORDIMER & PD JAMES NOVELS

Congrats to Tonya Rice who won the Nadine Gordimer collection Life Times  and to Judith Watt who won the detective collection that includes PD James. What a great way to start the new year!
Hugs to you all,
Valerie

Coming Up! 
Sitting is the New Smoking: How to convert your writing space for a healthier you

2012 Resolutions? Best Served with Humor!

Ahoy, Lads and Lassies,

            Why humor, you ask? Simple. After being down with one of those venomous viruses goin’ round, I had to find a way to soothe my snarky pirate side that kept saying, “Unfair! Can’t celebrate on New Year’s Eve? Can’t party with Jess Maxwell and Red Moons on Sunday? Arrrggghhh!”

            After a little sniveling, I decided to give myself a good shake and say, “Turn this to your advantage, Captain! You’re being forced to stay in your cabin and leave first mate in charge. How best to use this time?”

Tour a Captain's Table

            Ah, lads and lassies, I needed humor to set me straight. When yer lookin’ a fright and your coughin’ could sail an armada, you need to do somethin’! I made a list of those naggin tasks that needed to be done and knocked ‘em down one by one.  I won’t go through the list. God knows, I don’t need to show you how far I'd gone adrift.

            So here’s what I've had waitin' for ya for the new year.

New Year’s Bloody Resolutions

            Throw 2011’s list into the brink. I’ve used and reused this list for years, created years ago by an online, fill-in-the-gap resolution generator. Sorry I can’t find the link.

            Lose 1 pound

            Be more magnificent

            Be less inexhaustible

            Stop gathering

            Start creating

            Write every day

            Keep my damn sense of humor

For Those Who Woke Up Jan. 1 and Wanted to Write a Novel

            If you woke up on January 1^st and thought, “I’d like to write a novel!” (ok, maybe a “friend”  said that), before you take one step in that direction, consider what Dorothy Parker had to say about becoming a writer:

“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”  -- via Stacy Clark on SheWrites

            If that doesn’t work, here’s a humane way to discourage yourself your friend from taking up the writer’s life. Watch all the way through. It's irritating at first, but gets funnier!

            That’s all for now, until Friday, when I’ll be back in semi-serious form with my must-read interview with Diane Prokop, book reviewer extraordinaire

Hold On!

            You didn’t think you’d get off that easy, did ya? Nay. Your Captain has an assignment for you.

            To keep your humor afloat when you’re weak and can’t tell the arse end of galleon from a rowboat, find a funny quote or cartoon that makes you smile. But before you tape it to your computer monitor or fridge or car dash, send me a copy at ValinParis [at] earthlink [dot] net! At the end of January, I’ll post them all on my blog.

Galleon!

Rowboat!

            If you can’t do this for yourself, do it for your sisters and brothers! There’s good karma in keepin’ your shipmates in fine fettle. If the Mayans were right and this is the year we go “phewt,” let’s at least be laughin’. One thing I learned from Girl Scouts—other than how to make a S-Mores—is  “Always Be Prepared.”

Signing off for now!

Here’s to smooth sailin’ in 2012!

Your Captain Val

Coming Up!

Interview with book reviewer Diane Prokop

Humor! Helping Each Other Thrive; Bring Your Writing Alive

Confirmed Gossip and News from the Writing World

My Research Trip to Paris: How to Let Go and Follow your Instincts